Clean Up: Extended Horizons

I have been looking over my work for the past month and have decided that it is time to take my improvisation project to the next level. One pattern I have noticed is the tendency to improvise for long stretches of time, often including multiple ‘pieces’ in one shot. While there is nothing wrong with that, it’s time to shift gears. One of my long term goals is to learn to make coherent pieces when I improvise; free improvisation is not, and should never be confused with, idle noodling. Another pattern I have noticed is how freely I can wander into wildly different material, riding whatever wave is coursing through my brain at the time. Again, not a problem per se, but the more material I include at once, the harder it is to create those coherent pieces. One last thing I picked up on – I often discover new sounds in the middle of improvising, and immediately forget what I did when it’s all over.

So to take all this to the next level, I am now setting two parameters for myself:

1) Each improvisation will be no longer than four minutes

2) Each improvisation will include the use of a handful of pre-determined sounds. This way, the improvisation will hopefully be more focused and will explore the possibilities of the sounds and techniques in question without them going in one ear and out the other.

I will continue to post recordings once a week on Saturdays. With each recording, I will include a description of my process and what inspired me on that particular day. In doing this, I hope to grow as a musician, but also to create a piece of artwork (s) for you, my dear listeners. Any feedback is welcome. And in case you are wondering, the title of this project is ‘Extended Horizons’. Thankyou for listening and please enjoy.